Science Digest The New Zealand Herald

So many things are made from plastic these days, and while plastics are cheap and can make life convenient, they have been getting some pretty bad publicity recently as we come to terms not only with how they are made, but what happens to them afterwards.

Luckily we are living in a world where recycling bins are easy to find, and many of us now consciously wash and sort our plastic waste, but where does it go from here and how much of this plastic actually gets recycled?

Today, Michelle is joined by Rachel Barker, CEO of Plastics NZ, and Damien Venuto, host of The Front Page and a new dad, to discuss the realities of recycling plastics in New Zealand. 

Read more on the subject here. 
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Genetic modification is a scientific term that can conjure up fear as scientists are let loose tampering with nature.  

But putting genetic engineering is actively being used all over the world today, most commonly in crops to help them to become more resilient to a changing climate, but also in clinical trials and medical treatment to help cure human diseases such as cancer, cystic fibrosis and diabetes.

While the world moves forwards with genetic modification, it is heavily regulated in New Zealand, and has been since the passing of the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act in 1996. 

So what exactly is genetic modification, what are the positives and negatives of it, and should New Zealand be reconsidering its current laws to help more scientists here to carry out cutting edge research?

For today’s episode, Michelle is joined by New Zealand Herald science reporter Jamie Morton, to discuss his recent reporting in this area, and University of Otago Geneticist and Director of Genomics Aotearoa Professor Peter Dearden to discuss the science.

Read more on Jamie's reporting here
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Over the last decade, we’ve seen a number of policies put in place in New Zealand that have made smoking a very expensive habit, while more and more evidence-based data has confirmed the health risks of the practice.

However, as smoking has declined, e-cigarettes or vaping has drastically risen in popularity marketed as a supposedly healthier alternative to tobacco-based products. 

Initially e-cigarettes were seen as a way to help current smokers quit their habit, but instead what we’ve seen is more and more people - particularly teenagers who never were tobacco smokers - take up the vaping habit.

So is it safe for teenagers to vape, are e-cigarettes a healthier alternative and how much research has been done in this space to date?

For today’s episode, Michelle is joined by Dr Kelly Burrowes, an associate professor at the Auckland Bioengineering Institute, and current vaper Will Toogood, a digital producer at NZME who will talk to his experiences with vaping. 
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After a long-fought battle from LGBT+ campaigners, this week New Zealand criminalised practices such as conversion therapy that aim to try and alter or suppress someone's sexuality or gender identity.

But was there ever any scientific basis for...

After months of lockdown and two years of closed borders, New Zealand is preparing to open up and live with Covid-19 - but, just as the Government announced plans for the future, a new variant called Omicron has emerged, and appears to be the most...

The COP26 Climate Change summit is happening in Glasgow to discuss ways to combat climate change - but it doesn't have to be left to politicians to make a change. In this episode of Science Digest, Dr Michelle Dickinson is joined by the University of...